FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Severe weather swept through Arizona on Wednesday, producing two confirmed EF1 tornadoes that snapped trees, damaged homes and knocked out power in northern mountain communities, according to the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists determined that both twisters packed winds exceeding 100 mph as an unusually active storm pattern prompted at least 15 tornado warnings across the state this week, AZ Family reported.
Morning twister strikes Yavapai County
The first tornado developed around 7:32 a.m. Wednesday near Ponderosa Park in Yavapai County, not far from Prescott, according to meteorologists cited by ABC15 Arizona and AZ Family. The storm remained on the ground for approximately 14 minutes and traveled roughly eight miles across the Bradshaw Mountains.
Weather officials said the funnel was about 300 yards wide and produced estimated peak winds of 105 mph before dissipating near Walker Road at around 7:46 a.m. The storm crossed Spruce Mountain, where it snapped and uprooted numerous trees. No injuries were reported from the morning tornado, according to AZ Family.
The weather service rates tornadoes on the Enhanced Fujita Scale from EF0 to EF5 based on damage surveys and wind estimates. An EF1 rating signifies estimated wind speeds between 86 and 110 mph.
Heber-Overgaard hit by evening storm
A second, slightly stronger tornado touched down later that evening in Navajo County. The storm began south of Heber-Overgaard at 6:59 p.m. and stayed on the ground for 11 minutes, carving a path of 9.25 miles, according to National Weather Service data cited by AZ Family.
With maximum winds reaching 110 mph, the tornado widened to approximately 350 yards. It crossed north over Highway 260 and moved directly through town before lifting near Highway 277, according to ABC15 Arizona. The most extensive destruction occurred on the south side of Highway 260 and through central sections of Overgaard, where multiple residential structures suffered damage and trees were knocked down.
Authorities reported that one person was hurt when the storm hit. A man riding a bicycle was caught outdoors in the violent weather and was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, AZ Family reported.
Emergency response and ongoing cleanup
The sudden evening tornado triggered an influx of emergency calls. Heber-Overgaard Fire District Chief Jason Payne told AZ Family that dispatchers logged more than a dozen 911 calls in the opening 30 minutes of the storm. Responders confronted reports of collapsed utility lines, compromised fuel containers and residents potentially trapped inside damaged properties.
“So we had a lot of power lines down, so most of the power was down to Overgaard, and we had a lot of propane tanks that were hit by trees, so we had to mitigate that,” Payne said.
Residents caught in the tornado’s track scrambled to find interior shelter as the funnel approached. Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse told AZ Family that many people took refuge in small interior rooms.
“Closets, bathrooms, that was kind of a common one that we heard,” Clouse said. “Closets and bathrooms, especially for the residents that were close enough to the damage path that could hear that tornado coming through.”
State Rep. Walt Blackman noted that the community sustained “considerable damage,” AZ Family reported. Crews and property owners in the region continued recovery operations heading into the weekend. Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Phoenix, described the 15 tornado warnings issued across the state this week as “a large number for Arizona.”
